Power Rangers Beast Morphers Episode 19 Review: Rewriting History

Who needs a plot about memories being wiped when you've got Steel and Spot the plant? This is Beast Morphers' best episode yet!

This Power Rangers Beast Morphers review contains spoilers.

Power Rangers Beast Morphers Episode 19

We’re almost to the end of the Power Rangers Beast Morphers season so I can say without question that Steel is the MVP of this season. I don’t know what it is with Power Rangers‘ robot characters but they’re always great! Blue Senturion, Robo Knight, and now Steel. Just seeing them try to interact with humans in childlike ways never fails to make me smile. Steel might edge out over the other robots because he was able to take the spotlight in an episode that in any other season would have had nothing to do with him. 

The premise of ‘Rewriting History’ is fairly simple; the Rangers lose their memories so Roxy and Blaze can infiltrate Grid Battleforce. Let’s ignore the OP power of making people forget their memories and focus on how an episode like this is usually centered on showing how far our main cast has grown. You know that kind of episode, we see how they used to be before they became friends and the writers pat themselves on the back for how much they’ve developed the cast. 

Here though that’s mostly the B story! The A story is, charmingly, Steel trying to take care of a plant to prove to Nate he can handle a pet. That is so unbelievably sweet and adorable! I love Steel! When Vargoyle blasts the plant I felt a genuine sense of loss for Steel. Within just a few minutes of screen time I felt for a plant!It just goes to show how much Steel loves anything around him, which is put to the test when he takes out the radio tower. Steel nearly sacrifices himself in an incredible display of bravery that, much like when Spot the plant was zapped I was emotionally moved! 

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Steel is so great because the plot of taking care of a plant would be silly or childish (even for Power Rangers) if given to a teenaged human but to a robot? It’s perfect! A robot acting this innocent is easier to believe as an audience instead of the many times in previous seasons where Rangers who were supposed to be in their later teens suddenly started acting like children. It strained believability (again, even for Power Rangers) whereas here I totally accept it.  

The whole Spot the plant plot represents the thing that Power Rangers can do so well, juxtaposing the absurd with genuine moments of heart.

read more: Power Rangers: Ranking all 25 Seasons

Also, Steel just walking around the city and everyone being SUPER CHILL WITH IT never ceases to put a smile on my face. It’s so goofy yet the way no one questions it makes Steel even more endearing. 

Using the wiped memories plot as the B story here was such a gutsy move but it paid off. Those types of stories are often filled with the same tropes so focusing it all on Devon, along with a little setup for a future Blaze and Roxy plan, was the right choice. It had an engaging reason to sideline the other Rangers so Steel could shine.

‘Rewriting History’ featured the best pacing in a Beast Morphers episode yet. It never felt like it dragged, which was helped by the quick zord battle. Steel wasn’t involved in the fight so there was no need to drag it out. They got it done quick so we could get back to the main plot! Excellent.

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While Steel was the star, some smaller moments with the other Rangers stood out. The team talking about pets they’d had/have was cute (Devon is having a cat is perfect.) His fight with Vargoyle was also well done, a great action scene that was perfectly placed alongside Steel trying to get up the tower.

The only thing that let down the episode is the Ben and Betty gags. They weren’t as bad as they’ve usually been but anytime their antics are completely removed from the A or B plot that’s a problem. At first them reprimanding Steel and Devon was fine, it was a fine excuse to have their morphers taken. Then we got into the wacky antics with Steel’s arm and then getting teleported away. It’s such a shame these two characters who could have an important role to play are relegated to comedy that just doesn’t work, which really stands out when put next to anytime Steel was talking to that plant.

At the very least I can imagine that in between the battle scenes Ben and Betty teleported to another planet and had a wild adventure where they got to be heroes. There’s your next annual story, Boom Comics!

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Shamus Kelley is a pop culture/television writer and official Power Rangers expert. Follow him on Twitter! He also co-hosts a Robotech podcast, which covers the original series and the new comics. Give it a listen! Read more articles by him here!

Rating:

4.5 out of 5